The Sword in the Stone
by apychopathsutopia
Summary: What if the sword Dean pulled from the stone was really put there by Merlin and Arthur as a prank? Merlin reincarnation; Merlin with some Supernatural sprinkled in. Established Merther. No warnings; rated T just to be safe.


_Disclaimer: I may have forgotten to put them on my other fics, but I do not own Merlin or Supernatural. Obviously. Because if I did, Merlin wouldn't be over, and Gabriel wouldn't be dead. The same applies to my other fics._

Merlin looked up at Arthur. He had his head resting on Arthur's shoulder as they lay comfortably in bed, a silence so content that Merlin was hesitant to break it.

But Merlin was always good at talking. Even when he was still Arthur's servant and Arthur was king.

"Hey Arthur, guess what?" Merlin asked softly.

"Hmm?"

Merlin took a deep breath and said very quickly, "There's a sword in a stone in the basement of some professor that I took some classes with while you were gone."

"Say that again?" Arthur asked in an amused tone, looking down at Merlin.

Merlin sighed again and said in a slower voice, "There's a sword in a stone in the basement of some professor that I took some classes with while you were gone."

"You went to school when I was gone?" Arthur asked, pulling Merlin closer to him absentmindedly.

"It was all in good fun. Passed the time. You took forever, you know."

Arthur smiled fondly. "I know. And he has a sword in a stone?"

Merlin nodded, shifting closer to Arthur, welcoming his warmth. Arthur was always so much hotter than Merlin. "She. And yeah."

"So . . . what? What do you want to do about it?"

" _So_ , the sword is forged in dragon's breath. Well, she said dragons blood, but these people don't really know the truth, do they? Our story's changed so many times, Arthur, you have no idea how frustrating it's been."

"Okay," Arthur said slowly. "There's a sword in a stone that's been . . . forged in dragon's breath. And?"

"And?" Merlin asked incredulously, sitting up. "Doesn't that bring you way back when? To simpler times?"

Arthur sat up as well. "No, not really, considering way back when, I only knew you were a warlock for - what was it? - two days."

"And you only trusted me for one of them," Merlin said softly. He got a faraway look in his eyes, but shook his head. "But nevermind that. You know what we should do?"

"What?"

"A long time ago - yes a _long_ time ago," Merlin said in response to Arthur's questioning gaze, "Morgana enchanted me into wanting to assassinate you."

Arthur's eyebrows raised. "You never told me that."

Merlin shrugged. "I sorted it out. But, anyway, that's not the point. I tried to poison you, kill you with a crossbow contraption, and stab you with your ceremonial sword. But, the killer - the one that would have worked if Gaius and Gwen hadn't stopped me - was pouring a solution into your bathwater that could dissolve metal."

Arthur's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "It's a good thing you are just as bad at killing as you are at serving, Merlin."

Merlin smiled. "That's what Gaius said. But, to check it, I stuck a sword in the bath water, and the sword . . . it was _destroyed_. Tarnished." Arthur smirked Merlin's use of such a large word. "And I still have it."

"You kept a sword as a token of the day you tried to kill me?" Arthur asked.

Merlin grinned. "Yeah."

"So what does that have to do with the sword in the stone?"

"We could switch them out. You know, as a prank." Merlin smiled, looking pretty proud of himself.

Arthur smirked. "That actually . . . sounds like a good idea. Well done, Merlin."

Merlin, pushed Arthur back down onto the mattress and laid on top of him. "You're still pretending I'm an idiot, aren't you?"

Arthur kissed Merlin on the forehead. "I don't have to pretend. You _are_ an idiot."

Merlin chuckled softly, and nuzzled his head into the crook of Arthur's neck.

Dean walked forward, his duffle bag filled with explosives in his hand. He thanked his lucky stars that he kept Baby equipped with all the necessary supplies.

The professor hurried in front of him, disdain on her face. "I don't like this. At all."

Dean stared at her.

"You do realize that this is the single most valuable artifact that you have ever _touched_."

Dean ignored his nagging desire to smack some sense into her. In case she didn't realize, _people were dying._ She could throw her _boo-hoo it's my favorite thing in the whole wide world_ fit for later. As in after he left. Dean held back an eye roll. "And it's also the only weapon we got."

The professor folded her arms.

"Look, I know what I'm doing," Dean continued in, what he assumed, was a comforting voice. "I actually learned it all from Bobby. Hey, whatever happened there you know he's at least a genius at this. Do you want me to kill that dragon or not?"

The professor sighed dramatically and moved to Dean's side. "Okay," she said in suffered voice.

Dean smirked and walked toward the stone. He knelt down rummaging through his bag, feeling for the explosives that would inadvertently make this hunt a success. He strategically placed the explosives on the stone. "You rocks think you're so smart," he said with a grin.

"Alright," Dean said, moving the wire with him out of the door, "Welcome to the twenty-first century."

The professor closed the door, gazing longingly at the sword.

Dean pushed the button, and the doors almost flung open by the force of the explosion.

The young hunter paused, waiting for the dust to settle, before opening the door. "Okay, okay," he said with a low chuckle, waltzing confidently to the stone. He swiftly pulled the sword from the stone, but what he saw made his face fall.

The sword was shattered.

Dean looked back at the professor, hesitantly. "You've got insurance for this right?"

Merlin awkwardly held the sword in one hand, (it had been a while since he had held a sword), and muttered something under his breath. His eyes flashed golden, and the front door silently unlocked.

Arthur looked sideways at him. "I'll never get used to that."

Merlin shrugged, a smirk on his face. "It'll take time, but I'm sure my bravery and greatness will finally sink in."

Arthur rolled his eyes and smacked Merlin on the back of his head. "Sure."

The two hurried inside, closing the door quickly behind them. Merlin whispered some more incoherent words and Arthur heard the lock click again.

"So, where are we going?" Arthur whispered, checking around the corner to see where the professor was.

"The basement," Merlin responded in an equally quiet voice.

"And where is that?" Arthur retorted.

"Down the stairs."

"Thanks."

"Well. . . ."

"I meant which way do we go?"

Merlin groaned good-naturally and took hold of Arthur's shirt sleeve. "Follow me."

Merlin led Arthur down some stairs, took a couple turns, went down a long hallway, and finally made it to the double doors that he remembered going through once before.

"Here."

As soon as Merlin spoke, the sword slipped from his hand, clattering loudly on the floor.

Arthur slapped in Merlin's general direction. "Shh!" he whispered harshly.

Merlin cringed and bent awkwardly to pick it up again. He looked sideways at Arthur, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

Merlin pushed the doors open, revealing a large stone with a sword sticking from the top.

"Think I can still get the sword out?" Arthur asked, cockily.

Merlin smirked. "You couldn't really get it out the first time."

Arthur's smile fell. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I helped a little bit," Merlin said airily, walking into the room.

Arthur watched him walk away, a scowl on his face.

Merlin lifted up an arm, muttered something under his breath, and the sword shot right from the stone and into his hands. He turned around and passed it to Arthur, who held it in his hands delicately. The heavy feeling of the sword in his hands made tears prickle at the sides of his eyes, but he blinked them away.

Merlin eyed him carefully. "Are you alright?"

Arthur blinked and looked up at Merlin. "Memories," he stated simply.

Merlin nodded. "Memories," he agreed.

The two were silent for a few minutes, caught up in their tangled past. The nostalgia washed over them painfully.

They shook themselves from their stupor simultaneously. Merlin looked at the broken sword in his hand; the one from so long ago. . . .

"Um, Arthur -" he began.

"I know," Arthur interrupted. "You don't want to get rid of it."

Merlin nodded, avoiding Arthur's eyes. "I've had it for so long -"

Arthur pulled Merlin into a tight hug and whispered, "It's alright, because you have me now."

Merlin swallowed deeply, and closed his eyes. "I know. I'm being stupid." Merlin chuckled, and Arthur couldn't tell if it was bitter or sarcastic. "More than usual."

Arthur smiled and pressed his forehead against Merlin's. "More than usual," he repeated.

The two stayed like that for a moment until Arthur suddenly pulled away. "Alright, Young Warlock, let's see you work some magic!"

Merlin cringed. Killgarrah had died, long ago; Merlin's old friend. He hadn't been called 'Young Warlock' ever since then. However, he nodded. "Time to work some magic," he agreed. He turned to the stone, sword in hand. He lifted the sword above his head, whispered something under his breath, and plunged the sword into the stone. The sword sunk like it was being pushed into butter.

Arthur stood back in awe.

Merlin took a step back. "Finished."

Arthur blinked. "That was it?"

Merlin quirked an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

Arthur shrugged.

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of distant footsteps stopped him. He had much better hearing than Arthur, and knew it too, so he lunged forward and pressed a hand forcefully to Arthur's mouth. "Footsteps," he whispered in his ear simply.

Arthur nodded, and allowed Merlin to back him into a far corner. Merlin pulled Arthur to a crouch and muttered something under his breath.

When he let Arthur have free range of his mouth, Arthur immediately asked,

"Did you make us invisible? Please tell me you made us invisible."

Merlin laughed and shook his head. "No. But I camouflaged us. We can talk however loud we want, but we can't move much."

"So . . . are we invisible or not?"

"No, Arthur, we just . . . blend in, is all."

"So act like we're hiding from wilddereon!" Arthur exclaimed suddenly. "Oh, Merlin, wilddereon. Remember wilddereon?"

"Yes, I remember you trying to feed us to them. Or, trying to feed _me_ to them, considering I couldn't properly lift a sword at the time. That was really nice of you."

Arthur mock-scowled. "I already apologized for that."

The doors opened, and an extremely attractive man appeared, standing next to the professor.

"See, that's the professor," Merlin said, pointing at the refined blonde woman with her arms proudly folded.

"And who's _that_?" Arthur asked in awe, gesturing to Dean with a goofy smile on his face. "He's . . . not ugly."

Merlin glanced sideways at him and scowled. "He's okay."

"No, Merlin," Arthur argued, shaking his head, "he's _more than_ okay."

Dean gestured to the stone. "Alright, well, I'll . . . give it a whirl. Do you mind?"

The professor shook her head and motioned for him continue.

Dean stood up to the stone, gripped it tightly and began to pull.

Merlin smirked, watching Dean's face turn pinker and pinker and a vein began to throb in his forehead. "He's about as dim-witted as you."

Arthur smacked the back of Merlin's head. "Watch it."

Merlin smiled and shrugged. He turned back to Dean, and when he whispered something mischievous under his breath, his eyes flashed gold.

Dean slipped and fell off the stone, the sword flicking back and forth rapidly.

Arthur laughed so hard he held his stomach, and Merlin swelled up in pride.

Merlin and Arthur watched the exchange, laughing every once in a while at Dean's persistent stupidity. However, when he began putting explosives on the stone, Merlin sat up, on the edge of amusement and alert.

"Is he - is he _actually_ going to explode the rock?" Arthur asked, looking from Merlin to Dean.

Merlin nodded. "It appears so."

"Are we going to explode, too, then?" Arthur asked, sitting up with Merlin.

Merlin contemplated for a second before an idea popped into his mind. He snapped his fingers in excitement. "Alright, so they can't very well be in this room if they're going to explode it, are they?"

"I suppose so, but what about us?"

"They'll close the doors and leave us in here with the explosives and the sword and the stone," Merlin said, talking grandly with his hands.

"Right, I got that part. How exactly are you going to worm our way out of that?"

"Well, _Arthur_ , when they close the door, I'll just turn off the explosives."

"You can do that?" Arthur asked, looking at the stone in confusion.

"I'm a warlock, Arthur," Merlin answered, rising to his feet, "I can do whatever I want."

"Beg to differ," Arthur muttered, following Merlin.

Merlin ignored him. "So, I turn off the explosives, and then just break the rock."

Arthur looked at Merlin in wonder. "Why the hell didn't I knight you?"

Merlin smirked at him. "If you had asked me, I would have graciously said no."

Arthur's eyebrows rose in confusion. "Why?"

Merlin shrugged, turning away from him. "I liked being your servant."

Arthur smiled as he watched Merlin walk toward the stone after the doors had been closed and whisper something under his breath. Arthur observed with bated breath, and when he heard a soft click from the other side of the door, Merlin thrusted a hand forward and the rock cracked under the pressure of his magic.

Merlin skipped back over to Arthur, laughing in excitement. He jumped and pulled Arthur to a crouch again.

"Okay, okay," Dean said cockily, walking toward the broken rock. Merlin and Arthur roared with laughter when Dean pulled the sword out and it looked exactly as it did when Merlin pressed it in.

"You've got insurance for this, right?" Dean asked innocently, holding the sword for the professor to see.

Merlin and Arthur almost couldn't breath.

When Dean and the professor cleared out of the room, the two lovers stood and brushed dust off of their clothes.

"Good idea, Merlin, I almost forgot how much fun almost dying was," Arthur said after he managed to be able to speak coherently.

"I'm full of good ideas, if you'd just listen every once in a while," Merlin said with a laugh.

"I do listen. And you're very smart, and brave, and I trust you with my life," Arthur said, suddenly sounding very serious.

Merlin looked behind him and gazed at Arthur, who smiled back.

"I'm going miss that sword, you know," Merlin said, pulling Arthur to him in a hug.

"I know, Merlin," Arthur sighed, speaking comfortingly into Merlin's ear. "I'm going to miss it, too."


End file.
